Automatic coring-machine.



G! W. STEELMAN, E. H. SAWYER & M. FELS. AUTOMATIC GOBING MACHINE.

nrmonzon FILED rmmo, 191a.

PatentedJuly 1, 1913.

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WITNESSES G. W. STEELMAN, E. H; SAWYER & M. FELS.

AUTOMATIC GOBING'MEGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 111113.10, 1913 II I I I IV "III/II/IIIIIIIII IA YPatented July 1, 1913.

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M mvEmns I mom-11s UNITED STATES PATENT orrrcn.

GEORGE W. STEELMAN AND EZRA H. SAWYER, OF VINELAND, NEW JERSEY, ANDiMAURICE FELS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO NIPPER MACHINE COMPANY, OF NORMA, NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC CORING-MACHIN E.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. STEEL- MAN and EZRA H. SAWYER, bothcitizens of the United States, residing at Vineland, in the county ofCumberland, State of New Jersey, and MAUnIon Fans, a citizen of theUnited States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Automatic Goring-Machine,of which the following is a specification.

ur present invention consists of a novel construction of an automaticcoring machine, adapted to be employed to remove the cores from fruitsor vegetables, such as tomatoes, apples, or the like, or to remove theeyes from pineapples, and spots or the like from other fruits orvegetables, and consists of a coring implement, and novel means toautomatically'actuate the same.

It further consists ofa novel construction of 'an automatic coringmachine wherein the coring implements are reciprocated in a novel mannerwith respect to the articles to be cored, which latter are continuouslyfed into register therewith, novel means being provided for preventingthe articles being cored from adhering to the coring implements.

It further consists of a novel construction of a coring machine, whereina coring implement is employed, and novel means for positively openingand closing said coring implement at the proper time, and for lockingthe coring implement in closed position, and causing the same toautomatically open.

It further consists of other novel features of construction, all as willbe hereinafter fully set forth.

For the purpose of illustrating our invention, we have shown in theaccompanying drawings one form thereof which is at present preferred byus, .since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory andreliable results, although it is to be understood that the variousinstrumentalities of which our invention consists can be variouslyarranged and organized and that our invention is not limited to theprecise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities asherein shown and described. I

Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of a portion of a coringmachine, embody- Speoiflcation oi! Letters Patent.

Application filed February 10, 1913. Serial No. 747,430.

Patented July 1, 1913.

ing our invention. Fig. 2 represents a. section on line w-w, Fig. 1.Fig. 3 represents a side elevation of a portion ofour novel coringmachine. F ig. 4 represents a section on .line g y of Fig. 6, showingcertain parts in the position there shown when in open position. Fig. 5represents a side elevation of Fig. 6. Fig. Grepresents a side elevationof a coring implement and certain of its-adjuncts. Fig. 7 represents asectional elevation showing certain of the parts seen in Fig. 4 in adifferent relation wit-h respect to each other.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures.

Referring to the drawings: 1 designates the frame of the machine theconstruction of which, as is apparent, may vary widely 1n practice andin the present instance we have deemed it unnecessary to illustrate theentire frame.

2 designates a driving shaft mounted in the frame 1 and. provided with apulley 3 loosely mounted thereon and adapted to be connected with anydesired source of power, said pulley 3 being adapted to interlock withthe manually actuated clutch member 4, whereby the shaft 2 will bedriven in the usual manner.

5 designates a gear fixed on the shaft 2 and intermeshing with a gear 6preferably of larger diameter than the gear 5 and mounted on the shaft7-journaled in the frame 1 of the machine. The shaft 7 has fixed thereona series of cams 8, 9, 10 and 11 adapted to cooperate with mechanismwhich will hereinafter be described.

12 designates a cross bar secured to the frame 1 of the machine.

13 designates a sleeve carried by the cross bar 12 and having a sidethereof split and provided with a set screw 14:, whereby a tubularcasing 15 may be fixed with respect thereto. Within the sleeve 15 isslidably mounted a plunger 16 having journaled at its outer end a roller17. The plunger is provided with a reduced diameter to forma preferablyinternal shoulder 18 between which and an annulus 19 carried by theouter sleeve 15 is located a.spring 20, the reduced portion 21 of saidplunger being adapted to pass into said annulus 19. The lower end of theplunger 16 is apertured as at 22, in order to receive a spring 23, one

its lower end is secured to a head 30, and in the present instance, saidsleeve is in threaded engagement with said head. The rod 24 is ,providedwith a reduced diameter 31 which terminates in a conical head or bearing32. The head 30 serves as a supporting means for the cutter arms 33, twoof which are employed in the present instance, and each arm is pivotallyconnected to the head as at 34, and provided with an inclined slot 35into which extends a pin 36 carried-by the head 30. s

37 designates a roller rotatably mounted in the arm 33 and adapted tocoiiperate with the reduced neck 31 and conical bearing 32 of the rod24. Each arm 33 is provided with a pin or abutment 38 with whichcotiperates the compression spring 39, whereby the set screws 40normally abut against the side of the head 30, said set screws beinglocated in their adjusted position by. means of lock nuts 41.

42 designates a pin carried by eacharm 33.

43 designates a coring knife or cutter which preferably has the shape ofone-half an axially conical shell and the-two coring arms are slightlydiverging so that the straight cutting edges of the scoops or cutterswill be brought completely together when the arms are closed, as seen inFig. 7, thus forming segments of a conical shell.

44 designates a lever fulcrumed on one of the pins 42 provided with acatch 45 adapted to cooperate with the other pin 42 on the other armwhen the head 30 has been moved downwardly and the head 30 is preferablyprovided with a plunger 46 adapted to contact with said lever 44 andpositively lockthe same on the downward movement of the head 30. v

,In order to unlock the catch 45 we provide novel unlocking meansactuated by the cam 9 and such mechanism will now be described.

47 designates a sleeve carried by the cross bar 12, in any desiredmanner, and within this sleeve is slidabl'y mounted a plunger 48 havingat its upper end a roller 49 adapted to coiiperate with the cam 9. Theplunger 48. is provided with, a reduced diameter thereby forming ashoulder 50, between which and 4 the cross bar 12 is interposed a spring51,

whereby said plunger 48 is normally maintained in its raised position.The lower end ofthe plunger 48 is threaded, asis indicated at 52,thereby adapting the same to receive an arm 53 which is adj-ustablyconnected with said plunger 48 by means of nuts 54 located on oppositesides of said arm 53.

55 desi nates rods carried by the arm 53, two of said rods beingprovided in the present instance, in order that a single plunger isprovided which will operate to unlock the levers 44 of two sets ofcoring implements. In the present instance, the rods 46 are guided in anapertured boss 56 on the heads 30, and are adapted to contact with thelever 44, which is constructed to form a contact portion to be engagedby said rods 46.

57 designates a guide rod on which is guided a clamping member orstripper 58, preferably apertured to permit a portion of the coringimplements to pass therethrough, said stripper 58 being mounted on thethreaded extension of the plunger 59 and secured in adjusted positionwith respect thereto by means-of nuts 60 located on opposite sides ofsaid stripper 58. The plunger 59 is mounted within a sleeve 61 carriedby the cross bar 12 and a spring 62 is interposed between the shoulderon said plunger 59 andthe cross bar 12, in order to normally maintainsaid plunger in its elevated position, as seen in Fig. 1.

63 designates a roller carried by the plunger 59, and adapted tocotiperate with the cam 11, on the shaft 7.

64 designates a conveyer of any'desired type, provided with articlereceiving members 65 it being understood that the frame is provi e withguides 66 whereby the articles to be cored will be brought into registerwith the coring implements 43. The conveyer 64 may 1% of any desired orconventional construction and driven in any desired manner, sprocketwheels 67 being shown in the present instance, which are adapted to bedriven by any desired or conventional type of mechanism, and we have,therefore, deemed it unnecessary in the present instance to illus trateand describe in detail such mechanism. The article holders 65 arepreferably spaced from each other.

The operation of our novel coring machine will now be readily apparentto those,

skilled in the art, to which this invention appertains and is as follows:-The conveyer is preferably arranged and actuated in such a manner thatit will operate at a 59. As the plungers 16 reach the limit of a tomato,is brought into register with a coring implement, the cam 8 will coactwith Vthe roller 17 in such a manner as to depress bar 25 will engagethe stop 28, which is carried by the stationary sleeve 15, so that onthe continued downward movement of the plunger 16 the head 30 will movedown-- wardly therewith, the result of which will be to cause the roller37 to ride up on the face of the conical bearing 32, thereby causing thecutting faces 43 of the coring implements to close, as will beunderstood by reference to Fig. 7. The arts are so timed that theclamping mem r or stripper 58, has at this time been moved downwardly onthe guide 57 owing to the engagement of the cam 11 with the roller 63,of the plunger their downward stroke, the lever 44 will fall due to itsown weight which is assured by the pin 46 in contactwith the lever 44,and the catch will interlock with a pin 42, and thereby prevent thecoring implements 43 from opening, and. these coring implements will nowbe returned to their initial position owing to the pro-vision of thesprings 20. As the coring implements are being returned to their initialposition, in the manner just described, and at a time when the articleholders 65 are out of register with the coring implements 43, the cam 9will coact with the roller 49, to cause the plunger 48 to movedownwardly, thereby causing the rods 55 to contact wit-h the end of thelever 44, and cause thecatch 45 to become unlocked from -the pin 42,which will permit the coring implements 43 to open outwardly owing tothe provision of the compression spring 39, and the core which has beenremoved from the article,

will drop through the conveyer 64. It is to be understood that thisconveyer 64 is driven at a comparatively slow speed, While the, camshaft 7 is driven at a comparatively high speed, so that the core isremoved from the articles during the continuous travel of the latter.

It will be apparent that the clamping member or stripper 58 may bereadily adjusted with respect to the articles to be cored, by actuatingthe nut 60. The time at which the coring implements are caused to open,may be readily adjusted by actuating the nuts 54.

It will be apparent that any desired number of coring implements maybecarried by the cross bar 12 having operating cams therefor on the shaft7, and the conveyer 64 may be made of such Width as to provide for theemployment of any desired number or units of coring implements and theiroperating mechanism. Owing to the provision of the clamping member orstripper 58, the. articles which are being cored are prevented frombeing raised out of position with respect to their holder 65, on theupward movement of the coring implement.

It will now be apparent that We have devised a novel and usefulconstruction of a coring implement and automatic coring machine whichembodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in thestatement of the invention and the above description, and while we have,in the present instance, shown and described a pre-.

ment comprising a plurality of members' forming a tapering shell andadapted to be moved toward and away from each other, a series ofreceptacles for the articles to be cored, means for moving one of saidelements toward and from the other, means for successively bringing eachof said receptacles and the coring implement inregister, means forimparting operative movement to such coring-implement, and devices forpreventing a. cored article adhering to said coring implement. 2. In acoring machine, a coring implement composed of a plurality of cutterblades formingsegments of a conical shell, means for moving suchimplement toward and from the articles to be cored, means for closingand opening such blades during their movement respectively toward andfrom such article, and devices for locking and unlocking such bladesduring their movement respectively toward and from such article.

3. In a coring machine, a coring implement composed of a plurality ofcutter blades forming segments of a conical shell,

a receptacle for the article to be cored,

means for imparting a continuous travel to said receptacle, means tomove said cutter blades toward and away from said receptacle, and duringsuch movement to cause them to open'and close, locking mechanism forsaid blades, devices to unlock said looking mechanism, and means fortemporarily impleblades to travel a predetermined distance in openposition and to cooperate with said cam on a further movement andautomatically close.

5. In a coring machine, a coring implement composed of a plurality ofcutter-blades forming segments of a tapering shell, a receptacle for thearticle to be cored, means for moving one of said elements toward andfrom the other, means for closing said blades at the latter part of themovement of said elements toward each other, means for locking saidblades in closed position, and means forunlocking said blades during theseparating movement of said elements.

6. In a coring machine, a coring implement composed of a plurality ofcutterblades forming segments of a tapering shell, a receptacle for thearticle to be cored, means for moving one of said elements toward andfrom the other, means for clos ing and opening such blades respectivelyduring the movement of one of said elements toward and from the other,and

means for locking such blades in closed position at the latter part ofthe movement of said elements toward each other and retaining them insuch positlon during the first cutter 'part of their separating movementand again unlocking them at said latter movement.

7. In-a coring machine, a coring implement composed of a plurality ofcutterblades forming segments of a tapering shell, a receptacle for thearticle to be cored, means for moving one of said elements toward andfrom the other, means for closing and opening said blades respectivelyduring the movement of one of said elements towardv and from the other,means for locking said blades during part of the separating movement ofsaid elements, and'meansfor retaining the object upon its receptacleduring the separatlng movement of said elements.

8. In a coring machine, a rigidly supported tube, a plunger slidable insaid tube, a spring acting against said plunger to move it outward,cutter-arms fulcrumed at the inner end of said plunger and provided withconverging cutter-blades, means for automatically opening said arms andblades, a rod axially slidable in the inner portion of the plunger andformed with a reduced neck and a tapering head at its end adapted toengage the cutter arms, and a thrust-member upon said rod and adapted'toengage and be stopped by the rigid sleeve as the plunger is movedinward.

GEORGE W. STEELM'AN. EZRA H. SAWYER. MAURICE FELS.

Witnesses:

ILEWVIS BARB,

JOHN W. Snorer.

